Experience The Sea Up Close At Iris Van Herpen's SS’20 Couture
Iris Van Herpen is one of the most talented couture designers that we have in the modern day and age. The Dutch designer showcased her SS’20 Couture Collection in Paris very recently. The collection was inspired by the marine ecosystem and life. “Sensory Seas” was a blend of biology and fashion in the most beautiful way. Herpen took assistance from the Spanish Neuro-anatomist Ramon y Cajal to get into the depths of the human central nervous system and reflect the fibrous marine life of the ocean.
Coming to the actual collection, it was a Herpen breath or rather a breeze of fresh air. Herpen is known for her brilliant play of 3D illusions. Her last collection was Hypnosis and this one was not far away from the same concept. However, the collection featured less stiff and more relaxed silhouettes, keeping in theme with the oceanic life. Well-crafted garments and modern silhouettes are her specialty and she did complete justice to her styles with this collection.
The collection started with shades of black and white and moved into deeper tones complementing the black. The inspiration for the colour palette was the deep sea senses. Deep reds, purples and ocean blues were the most eminent of the colours. 3D prints that replicated scale like repetition were also wildly accurate.
The designer used Morphogenesis technique to create 3D halos and thousands of white screen printed mesh layers. All of this was done in collaboration with Philip Beesley. The team that came together for the show were able to portray their ideas with perfection and accuracy. During the show, the models emerged from a light-wave sculpture, which was designed by none other than Paul Friedlander. Frequency of a single thread was transformed into illustrations representing the central theme- Sensory Waves.
The brilliance of true couture is something we miss out in the modern age and we are thankful for designers like Iris Van Herpen, who have such a sharp vision, talent and voice. She has only become stronger in her language and we can’t wait to see what more does she have in store for us!